moonlight picnics and nargles
by greeneyedAlice91
Summary: Harry likes Cho, but Cho still isn't over Cedric. To top it off Luna likes Harry. what could go wrong?


**Harry's point of View**

The first time I saw her was in my fifth year at Hogwarts. At the time I was focused on winning the affection of the beautiful Ravenclaw Cho Chang, so I didn't think too much about this dreamy-eyed blonde sitting across the carriage from me. As Ron and Hermione, my two best friends argued yet again over nothing I sat back and dreamed of black-haired Ravenclaws. I never noticed Luna Lovegood, the blue-eyed blonde staring at me rather intently. No I was too busy fantasizing about the girl of my dreams. As time wore on I thought more and more about how to snag Cho Chang. Flowers wouldn't work and she didn't seem the type for chocolates. Puzzled I went to my two best friends for help. Neither one could give me a good solution. Finally I went to Luna in hopes of getting at least a usable solution.

Luna's advice was simple: what does Cho love to do and how can you make that something special? The answer had been staring me in the face all along: Quiditch. Cho was the Ravenclaw Seeker and I knew of a match between our respective Houses was coming up soon. Quickly I formulated a fool-proof plan to get the girl of my teenage dreams. My plan was this I would have Hermione charm the Snitch to where it would follow Cho during the match, then when she caught it (Ravenclaw is due for a win anyway) she couldn't let it go until she answer the question it posed. Again, with Hermione's brilliant charm work, I would have the Snitch ask Cho out using my voice and she couldn't release the tiny winged ball until she answered yes or no.

The day of the match dawned warm and clear and I was itching to put my plan to action. Finally after the longest breakfast I've ever had, it was time for the match. I just about raced to the changing room and threw on my Quiditch uniform and grabbed my Firebolt, eager to learned Cho's answer. In no time it seemed, I was in the air and 'looking' for the Snitch. In reality I just watched Cho look for it and laughed when she realized that it was following her. In two seconds flat the game was over and the winning team was being bombed with congratulations by their Housemates. I looked for Cho but didn't see her anywhere. Then I heard someone call my name. I spun around and the very girl I had been searching for was standing before me, the Snitch in hand. I mentally crossed my fingers that she had said yes but the expression on her face told me otherwise.

She looked at me sadly and shook her head holding the winged ball out to me and mumbling something about still not being over Cedric. My mouth fell open in shock and dismay as I watched the one girl I thought I wanted walk way. I must have stood there for an hour or more before I felt someone walk up to me again. I called out Cho's name hopeful that she had changed her mind but the voice, though female that answered me defiantly wasn't Cho Chang. In all her quirky Ravenclaw glory Luna Lovegood stood before me, her radish earrings swinging in the slight breeze and her Gryffindor lion head under her arm. She didn't speak after the first time but simply stood there looking at me. I found something in her light blue eyes I hadn't seen in Cho's dark orbs: love.

I was unsure of the type of love it was but to be on the safe side I suspected it was a platonic love rather than romantic. The next thing she did was simple enough; she stretched out her hand and placed it in mine. I felt a tingle slowly make its way up my arm and instinctively I stepped closer to her but not too close. The smile she gave was a small one but it made me feel like the king of the world. I had no choice but to follow her as she led me form the darken pitch and back towards the castle.

As the months passed two things happened; albeit slowly. One was that I got over Cho Chang and the other was that Luna and I had become very good friends. At first it had seemed unlikely that a popular Gryffindor would have such a strong friendship with an outcast Ravenclaw but that's what happened. Luna became an even better friend than Ron and was defiantly smarter than Hermione. While Hermione was book smart, Luna was not only book smart but was smart in any other area as well and she always made our conversations interesting whereas Hermione would have just droned on about what she had read. I began to believe in Luna like I had never believed in anyone else. Even things she talked about that others thought hogwash I lapped up like it was the Elixir of Life. My other friends thought I too was crazy but I just thought Luna was brilliant.

This brings us to my dilemma now. I have begun to realize that my feelings for Luna cross the boundary of friendship. The question is how and when should I tell her? His time I had to make a plan all on my own and after much thought I remembered what Luna had asked when I needed a plan to win Cho. 'What does she love and how can you make that something special?' This took less time than my previous plan. In fact it took three seconds tops to form and begin to execute. My plan was simply this: when the moon was full Luna liked to going hunting Nargles. The next full moon was two days away which meant I had two days to get everything I need together and perfect it.

By the day of the full moon I had the food ready and the spot for the picnic picked out. No one except the house elves knew I had planned a picnic which is how I wanted it. Not because I was afraid of my friends reactions, but because I wanted this to go right and be special for both Luna and I. Normally I don't go on the hunt for the maybe nonexistent creatures but tonight was the exception. I was sure Luna wouldn't mind the company; in fact she had asked me before to go with her. Right when the moon was at its highest place in the sky I set out with my, hopefully soon-to-be girlfriend picnic basket and blanket in hand. When we reached the spot I had marked earlier that day I set the things down and unfurled the blanket. Luna did seem a bit surprised at all the food I had brought but I thought it would be better to be safe than sorry. As I sat back and watched the true girl of my dreams try and catch Nargles, I thought about what I would say. I didn't want to say anything I didn't mean but I did want it to be short and sweet either. I, in the end settled for something nicely in between the two.

Soon Luna got tired of trying to catch Nargles and sat down near me. I then took a deep breath and told her what I'd planned to say, praying that she would answer yes. "Luna we've been friends for months now and you've become my closest friend. You are smart in everything and you always have something to say that keeps me on my toes. What I'm trying to ask is…will you be my girlfriend?" I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and was certain she could too. After a few agonizing minutes she replied. Her soft dreamy voice only said one word but it was the one word that made me feel invincible: "yes." My smile would have broken my face if that was at all possible as I leaned shyly towards her. She must have known what I was going to do for she met me halfway. As our lips met I felt that same slow tingle I felt months ago race through my body. I was lost in the feel of her lips, so soft and warm that I didn't noticed the time passing. Only when we stopped for breath did I realize how long we had been out here. The sky had turned a faint pink; almost the exact shade of Luna's lips and the early morning chill set in. Frankly I didn't mind this at all, in fact it made this all the more special. This was the beginning of a new chapter in my life and one I would cherish as long as she wanted me.


End file.
